Gas relieving device for bottles

ABSTRACT

A gas relieving device for beverage bottles having the contents thereof under a gas pressure and in which the bottles are sealed by a plastic stopper or closure. The device comprises a lower lance section for piercing a plastic stopper. The lance section is threaded to receive a cap section which with the lance section provides an adjustable valve arrangement.

United States Patent 1191 Paulson Mar. 19, 1974 GAS RELIEVING DEVICE FORBOTTLES 2.414.911 1/1947 Temple 222/81 4,250 [76] Inventor Pulls, 310Valhalla i338 3'32 il ij 2 2 2 8l (311., Crystal Lake, In. 60014 [22]Filed: June 13, 1972 Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson AssistantExaminer-Gary L. Smith [21] Appl' 262351 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-EdwardL. Benno [52] US. Cl 30/366, 30/16, 285/13 [57] ABSTRACT 51 Int. Cl1367b 7/24 1 E Field of Search 3O/6 l 63 16 305 315, A gas relievingdevice for beverage bottles having the 30/366; 81/347, 348, 85, contentsthereof under a gas pressure and in which the 28 5 H 3 bottles aresealed by a plastic stopper or closure. The device comprises a lowerlance section for piercing a [56] References Cited plastic stopper. Thelance section is threaded to re- UNITED STATES PATENTS ceivefla capsection which with the lance section provides an adjustable valvearrangement. 2,571,590 10/1951 Logic 30/61 X 321,905 7/1885 Lutomski285/ 13 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I l l 15 H V I0 l *7 l2 l 22 I i l3I L,

. GAS RELIEVING DEVICE FOR BOTTLES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION DETAILEDDESCRIPTION OF THE- PREFERRED E BODIMENTS All of the embodiments of theinvention are intended Many carbonated or fermented beverages are pres-5 for use with a hollow Plastic Closure Such as Show y ently sealedinbottles by a hollow plastic stopper or closure which by virtue of thegas pressure within the closure is firmly secured against easy removalfrom the bottle. Various forms of needle or lance devices are 1 ISUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention isto provide a simple-efficient device for relievinggas pressure from abeverage bottle which is sealed by a hollow plastic closure member. Thatobject is attained in the present invention by providing a lance memberwith a lower pointed end and an upper threaded periphery. An axialpassageway is provided in the lance member and extends from the upperend thereof to a position spaced upwardly from the lower end. The lowerend of the axial passageway is intersected by a radial passageway whichopens to opposite surfaces of the lance member. The lance member aboutthe outer terminous of the radial passageway is formed to substantiallyprevent any plastic fragments which may be sheared or fractured from thebottle closure from entering and blocking the radial passageway as thelance member is either pushed through or pulled from the upper surfaceof a hollow plastic beverage bottle closure.

The invention further comprises a cap member which is internallythreaded to receive the upper end of the lance member. The cap memberprovides a simple arrangement for manual insertion of the lance memberthrough a hollow plastic closure, and further, in coop eration with thelance member provides a valve for adjusting the rate at which gas fromthe bottle is permitted to escape.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent upon aperusal of the drawing and hereinafter following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view ofone embodiment of the invention with a closure and the neck portion of abottle shown in cross section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the emway of example at 10in FIG. 1. The closure 10 comprises an upper wall 11, a dependingannular skirt portion 12, and a depending cylindrical portion 13. In abottle sealing arrangement, the cylindrical portion 13 O is positionedwithin the neck of a bottle 14 and the skirt portion 12 is disposedabout the open upper end of the bottle 14. Whenthe contents of thebottle 14 include a gas under pressure, the gas will urge thecylindrical portion 13 against the neck of the bottle 14 to tightly sealthe bottle 14. Such a closure may be removed from the bottle withrelative ease when the gas pressure in the bottle isrelieved.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 for relieving gaspressure within the bottle 14 comprises a lance member 15 and a capmember 16 both of which are circular in a transverse cross section. Thelower portion of the lance member 15 is formed to taper from an annularshoulder 17 to a sharp point 18 at the lower end. The upper portion ofthe lance member 15 is provided with external threads 19. The upperportion of the lance member 15 is provided with a passageway 20 which isopen at the upper end of the lance member 15. The lower end of thepassageway 20 opens into a relatively small axial passageway 21. Thelower end of the axial passageway 21 opens into a radial passageway 22.The radial passageway 22 extends through the lower tapered portion ofthe lance member 15 and each end of the radial passageway 22 is roundedor chamferedto terminate on the lower tapered surface of the lancemember 15 without any sharp corners.

The cap member 16 is formed in a convenient cylindrical shape. Aninternally threaded recess 24 is provided in the lower end of the capmember 16 to receive the threaded upper portion of the lance member 15.The circumferential surface of the cap member 16 is further providedwith a knurled portion for easy manual rotation of the cap member 16.

In use, the cap member 16 is threaded substantially onto lance member15, the point 18 is applied to the upper wall 11 of the closure 10, anda downward pressure is applied on the cap member 16 to press the lancemember 15 through the wall 11 until the radial passageway 22 is withinthe cylindrical portion 13 of the closure 10. The cooperation betweenthe threads of the lance member 15 and cap member 16 is not gas tight,and a small amount of gas under pressure may then flow through radialpassageway 22, axial passageway 21, passageway 20, and between thethreads of the lance member 15 and cap member 16 to escape from thebottle. An increased rate of gas flow is produced by partially orcompletely unthreading the cap member 16 from the lance member 15. Whenthe gas pressure in the bottle is fully relieved, the lance member 15with the cap member 16 threaded thereon is withdrawn from theclosure 10.The closure 10 may then be easily pulled from the bottle. The rounded orchamfered ends of the radial passageway 22 prevent plastic fragmentsfrom being sheared from the wall 11 to block the passageway 22 in eitherthe insertion or withdrawal of the lance member 15 from the closure 10.

The other embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 3-6 aresubstantially identical in construction and operation to the firstembodiment except as described hereinafter.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 differs from the firstembodiment in the cap member 16 being provided with an elastic disk 25,and in the lance member 26 having a shorter upper threaded portion and aknurled or longitudinally grooved area 27. The disk 25 provides a gastight seal between the lance member 26 and the cap member 16 when thelance member 26 is seated against the disk 25. The disk 25 may be formedof any suitable material such as rubber. The area 27 will grip the sidewalls of the opening pierced by the lance member 26 in the wall 11 ofthe closure to prevent the lance member 26 from rotating in the closure10 as the cap member 16 is rotated to overcome the initial frictionalgripping force between the disk and the upper surface of the lancemember 26.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 comprises a cap member30 and a lance member 31. The cap member 30 is formed with an integralbroadened top 32 to distribute the reaction force encountered in pushingthe lance member 31 through the wall 11 of a closure 10 over a widerarea of a persons hand.

The lower portion of the lance member 31 above the tapered tip portion33 is substantially cylindrically shaped. The cylindrical portion of thelance member 31 substantially immediately above the tip portion 33 isformed as a short cylindrical section 34 of reduced diameter. Thesidewalls of the cylindrical portion above and below the section 34 arerounded or chamfered to avoid shearing any plastic fragments from theclosure 10 either in projecting in or withdrawing the lance member 31from the wall 11 of the closure 10. The radial passageway of the lancemember 31 is formed through the cylindrical section 34. If desired, theembodiment of FIG. 4 may include a sealing disk such as disk 25 of FIG.3.

The lance member 40 of FIGS. 5 and 6 may be used with a cap member suchas shown in FIGS. 1 or 4. The lower portion of the lance member 40 isformed as a substantially cylindrical section 41 terminating in atapered tip section 42. A portion of the cylindrical section 41intermediate its ends is formed with removed wall portions to form aplate section 43 which has a width equal to the diameter of the section41 and a thickness slightly less than the diameter of the axialpassageway 44 of the lance member 40. The described construction resultsin the lower end of the axial passageway 44 being open as a slot 45which extends longitudinally of and through the plate section 43. Whenthe lance member 40 with a cap member threaded thereon is projectedthrough the wall 11 of a closure 10, the lance member 40 will easilyenter and pass through the wall 11, and the slot 45 is efiectivelyremoved from any plastic fragments which may be sheared from the wall 11of the closure 10 by the lance member 40. The lance member 40 may alsobe easily removed from the closure 10, and again, with the slot 45effectively removed from any plastic fragments which may be sheared fromthe closure 10 as the lance member 40 is withdrawn.

Having described the invention, it is to be understood that changes canbe made in the described embodiments by a person skilled in the artwithin the spirit and scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A gas reliever device for a bottle having a hollow plastic closurecomprising, a lance member formed to have a lower portion terminating ina pointed tip capable of piercing the upper wall of said closure and anexternally threaded upper portion, a cap member formed to have aninternally threaded recess in the lower end thereof, the threads of saidlance member being formed to permit said cap member to be threaded oversaid lance member and to permit gas to escape between said threads, andsaid lance member further being formed to have passageway meansextending longitudinally therethrough from the upper end of said lancemember to the outer surface thereof above said pointed tip, saidpassageway means comprising an axial passageway extending from the upperend of said lance member to a radial passageway above said pointed tip,said radial passageway opening to the surface of said lance member, andsealing .means in said cap member to engage the upper surface of saidlance member to seal the upper end of said axial passageway when saidlance member is threaded into said cap member and against said sealingmeans.

2. A gas reliever device as defined in claim 1, and the ends of saidradial passageway being rounded to prevent the ends of said radialpassageway from shearing plastic fragments from said closure in theinsertion and removal of said device from said closure.

3. A gas reliever device as defined in claim 1, wherein said lowerportion of said lance member above said pointed tip is substantiallycylindrically shaped and provided with a section of reduced diameteradjacent said pointed tip, the walls of the cylindrically shaped portionof said lower portion of said lance member adjacent said section ofreduced diameter being rounded to prevent said walls from shearingplastic fragments from said closure in the insertion and removal of saiddevice from said closure, and said radial passageway extending throughsaid section of reduced diameter.

4. A gas reliever device as defined in claim 1 said lower portion ofsaid lance member above said pointed tip being substantiallycylindrically shaped and provided with a reduced section forming a platehaving the width of said cylindrically shaped portion and a thicknessless than the diameter of said axial passageway, and said axialpassageway opening through said plate.

5. A gas reliever device as defined in claim 1, wherein the surface ofsaid lower portion of said lance member above said radial passageway isknurled to prevent said lance member from rotating in said closure whensaid cap member is rotated.

6. A gas reliever as defined in claim 1, wherein said cap member isprovided with a broadened top portion for manually inserting andremoving said device from said closure.

1. A gas reliever device for a bottle having a hollow plastic closurecomprising, a lance member formed to have a lower portion terminating ina pointed tip capable of piercing the upper wall of said closure and anexternally threaded upper portion, a cap member formed to have aninternally threaded recess in the lower end thereof, the threads of saidlance member being formed to permit said cap member to be threaded oversaid lance member and to permit gas to escape between said threads, andsaid lance member further being formed to have passageway meansextending longitudinally therethrough from the upper end of said lancemember to the outer surface thereof above said pointed tip, saidpassageway means comprising an axial passageway extending from the upperend of said lance member to a radial passageway above said pointed tip,said radial passageway opening to the surface of said lance member, andsealing means in said cap member to engage the upper surface of saidlance member to seal the upper end of said axial passageway when saidlance member is threaded into said cap member and against said sealingmeans.
 2. A gas reliever device as defined in claim 1, and the ends ofsaid radial passageway being rounded to prevent the ends of said radialpassageway from shearing plastic fragments from said closure in theinsertion and removal of said device from said closure.
 3. A gasreliever device as defined in claim 1, wherein said lower portion ofsaid lance member above said pointed tip is substantially cylindricallyshaped and provided with a section of reduced diameter adjacent saidpointed tip, the walls of the cylindrically shaped portion of said lowerportion of said lance member adjacent said section of reduced diameterbeing rounded to prevent said walls from shearing plastic fragments fromsaid closure in the insertion and removal of said device from saidclosure, and said radial passageway extending through said section ofreduced diameter.
 4. A gas reliever device as defined in claim 1 saidlower portion of said lance member above said pointed tip beingsubstantially cylindrically shaped and provided with a reduced sectionforming a plate having the width of said cylindrically shaped portionand a thickness less than the diameter of said axial passageway, andsaid axial passageway opening through said plate.
 5. A gas relieverdevice as defined in claim 1, wherein the surface of said lower portionof said lance member above said radial passageway is knurled to preventsaid lance member from rotating in said closure when said cap member isrotated.
 6. A gas reliever as defined in claim 1, wherein said capmember is provided with a broadened top portion for manually insertingand removing said device from said closure.